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I cried a little this morning. Seriously. Today marks my first day back to work for the 2012 school year and although I know that I shouldn’t be complaining about 2.5 months off, I’m still going to.
I’ve mentioned before that I not a morning person, in fact, I don’t think I really utter full sentences until I’ve been up for at least a couple of hours. I like my sleep and I loathe waking up to alarms – yes, that’s more whining.
Since I don’t get a ton of sleep during the school days, I’m self-professed serial snoozer. Meaning I hit the snooze buttons about 10 times each morning. This annoying habit means that I am always in a hurry and can barely brew a cup of coffee before I have to literally run out the door.
This means that my breakfasts and lunches need to be prepared the night before or I’ll end up noshing on cheese curls and gummy bears at 9 am – not that I’ve ever done such a thing.
When the lovely folks at Become A Better Baker asked me to create a back to school breakfast recipe, I knew I had to share my favorite meal for rushed, school day mornings.
Rolled oats are flavored with honey, pure maple syrup, and pumpkin pie spice, then tossed with pecans and dried fruit to create a delectable breakfast. The intoxicating aroma and flavors of pumpkin pie spice are perfect for the upcoming, brisk fall mornings.
Homemade granola is perfect for munching on straight from the jar, served with fresh fruit and a splash of low-fat milk or my personal favorite – homemade fruit and yogurt parfaits.
Simply package fresh fruit, granola and your favorite yogurt into reusable containers and mix them at your desk or in the lunchroom for a satisfying, delicious breakfast or lunch.
Be sure to join Become A Better Baker on Facebook for more back to school ideas, tips and fantastic recipes.
[pinit]
Pumpkin Pie Granola
Ingredients:
4 cups old-fashioned oats
1/2 cup chopped pecans
3/4 cup shredded coconut such as Durkee Flaked Coconut
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/4 cup honey
3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup dried cranberries
Directions:
1. In a large bowl, combine oats, pecans and coconut; set aside.
2. In a saucepan, combine brown sugar, oil, honey, maple syrup and pumpkin pie spice; bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and stir in vanilla.
3. Pour over oat mixture; stir to coat. Spread in a large shallow baking pan.
4. Bake at 350°F for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cool.
5. Add raisins and dried cranberries. Store in an airtight container.
Notes:
- You can use any combination of dried fruit in this granola. Dried cherries, bluberries and dates are a fantastic addition.
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DISCLOSURE
This is a sponsored post written by My Baking Addiction on behalf of Become A Better Baker™. The views and opinions expressed on My Baking Addiction are purely my own.
I’m not a morning person either. My husband gets so frustrated with my snoozing habit, he figures if the alarm is going to go off, you should get out of bed, but I need a little time to warm up to the idea :)
Love pumpkin pie spice! I’m going to try and make this with pepitas!
This is some gorgeous granola, and one of my favorite things to make in the fall. I’m so glad fall is almost here!
Today was my first day of school too. But I’m not the teacher.
This granola looks so tasty and seems perfect for fall once it comes around. :)
I go back to teaching in 2 weeks, I feel like summer just started! I completely understand about not wanting to get up in the morning. My go-to school year breakfast is also grab and go – a hard boiled egg and banana I can eat at my desk while I set up my room in the morning!
This seriously cracks me up, only because this is my boyfriend!!! To a T:). He cannot talk for a couple of hours, if he does, don’t make it serious or expect him to remember. Snooze is his best friend, I want to kindly murder it every morning. But the best part, he hasn’t had to go to a typical 9-5 job in 2 years, until last week. 6am snooze 10 times is my life again after 2 nice years, so this made me laugh. And I need make the coffee and all meals the day before or he will walk out like a zombie. This am I found the fridge not closed all the way, NOT JOKING, true story:). So long story, not short, I love this recipe, am making it now, so we have a simple breakfast for rushed mornings. Thank you.
Looks delicious! I’m with Amber…I LOVE fall. But I can totally understand the wanting to sleep in too! I’m sure you’ll get back into the swing of things quickly:-)
I have been craving pumpkin like crazy the last few weeks and this just looks toooooo good!
This looks so yummy! I love anything to do with pumpkin spice. Fall foods are just the best. I can’t wait to try this! :)
I can hardly wait to try this; it looks so wonderfully yummy:-) First day of school here today, too.
I’m the first to admit that I love Fall. Autumn is my favorite season. I met my husband in Fall, we married in Fall, and pretty much everything good that’s ever happened to me has happened in Autumnal months. I’m super stoked to see this granola this morning. I’m ready!